Culvert-form.



J. M. COOPER.

CULVERT FRIVI. Y

APPLICATION FILED miv/15.1912.

1,163,640, Patented Deo. 14, 1915.

I 155.65m.. 62075.@4l 6. ajw' .4

COLUMBIA PLANoaRAm-x co.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

l"di,convnar-renti.V`

trasero" ff To all 107mm z't/iaaj/ concern:H u j f Be` it known thatL, ,JAMESy M.fiCoornR,

citizen of the United States, residing at liflfcLeansbord/'in kthe vcounty of Hamilton and State of'lllinois, have inventedcertainy iieiv and useful Improvements in Culvertl Forms, of `ivhichvthe,following isa speci-` cation, reference being` ad therein `tothe accompanying drawings? i li-his inventionrelates to `an invention is the provision ofaform' ofi this character which, ,l lWhen; not in use, can be y readily knocked do-Wn' and n stored in a com` 5 pact space to facilitatev storage yand ktransfjj` portation thereof. et further object goithe present invention is the previsioneofa.formy of this character which can'fgbe adjusted to. various sizes, thus enabling the same form to be used in the molding of culverts of ldiiierent i sizes', A turtlierfobject ofthe presentinvention is the provisiono a culvert of thischaracter j comprising a casing .which is formed* of a plurality of detachablyeonnected sections, in combination with improvedmeans for holding the casingy distended.

Other objects or the invention "Will beV ap-y `parent from the detailed description hereinafter when read in connectionliviththe acs` conipanying drawings vforming-r` a part hereV ot, .vherein; a convenientembodiment of ther` invention is` illustrated, `,and,wherein like, characters of; reference of a culvert form constructed in accordance with the 4present invention: Fio't 2 isa side elevation, parts being shown in section,and Figs. 3, 4, 4;, 5, 6 and 7 aredetail views.

i Referring noivniore particularly' to: the drawings, A, designates the casingof the form which is formed of sheet metal and is,

when the form is in its set up position', subv A is formed or' four (4t) sectionsyA, A2,'A3 and A?. As above stated, the adjacent edgesy of the sections of the casing ofthe'formare provided with means enabling the sections tf Letters raient.

improvement f -1774 f y 41 1d` f` 151i, ink culi eit oiins lor yino ing concree ci j verts, andfone-of` the yobjects 'oftlcieypresentA` e y krality of rows 'of elongatedy openingsl a refer tosiinilar `parts `iii the several views. n e l fj), In .the drawings: Figurejl is an end; `view 'rateiitee'neeyia isis;

' Appncation sigari-w15, 191e; `seriaiivo.697,47*?.

to bejjdetachablyconnected with each other.

VIn practice, thek adjacent edges ofthe sectionsof'the casingfoverlap andthe means for detachably connectingv the edgesy of the sections are preferablyo such' anature that the", amount which the sectionsoverlap can. be 4varied so that'thediaineter of the coni,- plete'dfffform can be'fvariedfto a veryy great extent-it desired. Y

vln theembodiment of the; invention illustinted,l each ofl thesections of the culvert is provided-along one edge thereof with apli-i` therein, and along its oppositel edge With'a row of .buttons a rotatably supported theree in, which buttons are provided With elon-` gated heads of a `size 'to'pass through the introduced through the opening aV the; y

adjacent edgeof the nextsectiomvand are thengiven a quarterturn, thus locking'the sections-togethen Manifestly by providing in each section a series of'roivs or" openings a, studs of the next adjacent sectionl can be` secured in any oneofsaid rows, thus en-` abling the diameter of the completed casing to he varied rto any desired extent-` The studs o maybe of any well Aknownigconstruction.v lnqpractice, however, 7i ,prefer tol rigidly securefin one edge of eachofthe` casing ysections a row of rivets ,a Whicharel provided with portions at yWhich project in Wardly'oi. the sections and upon which are rotatablv mounted the elongated f button 1' heads c55 After the sections ofthe form have been" connectedto makeea form Vof the desired diameter, internal bracing means are employed for giving the desired contour to the, casing. yFor this purpose, a plurality of expansible rings B are utilized bracing members being employed in connection with each of said rings for forcing the same tightly into engagement with the inner surface oi'f the casing A. Eacliof the rings comprises a split ring of spring metal, the ends of Which overlap, said rings being normally* contracted to the size of a circle equal to the cross section or the smallest culvert Which can be made with the casing A and being expansible to a size to fit WithinV the largest culvert which can be made with the casing A. Employed in connection with each KVoit the expansible rings B area plurality of adjustable brace Alio members Vwhicliare adapted to expandV the rings a suiiicient extentto cause the saine to directalinement with ythe member j", so that Y Copies of this patentV may be obtained fo the'interiorfof the lcasingof tion with each exoansible rin y namel a i, t in a brace F 5 abra-ce Fj, and a brace F2. The

tending' ,peitionsgf 'fthe outer surfaces of `which ai'erprovided ivith groovesv thereiny which are adapted'to engage the gexpansible ring B; fThe extremer inner end of the member' is provided ivith a U-shaped po'rti'on'f3V .vhichis adapted to' ifit over .the member "f of thebracewvhen said members are moved into alinementyand thus Llimit the pivotal Vmovefv l Y pansible rings'B and braces :therefor may be ment .of ysaid Vmembers in 4one directiom 'The VFal-shaped, member f3. is preferably of such a thev resiliency. ofthe expansible ring BV Willv hold thebrace intits extendedfposition. VIt' desired,,means-may be provided "for positively Ylocking th'ejmembers of the brace in their extendedpositions and in the Vembodiment ofi the invention illustrated, VIliave shown the k'ti-shaped member fa'as provided with set .screw which may be actuated. to

engagethe member f of ythe brace. To varyl the length of the brace when extended,k meansis' providedfor varying the'pivotal connection'foiV the members f and'f of the brace.L `.To Ythisend, the memberf of thev brace 'is provided Witha series ofvelongated holes 'f4 therein, andv the member f of the braceis provided Withfa stud projecting from tone `falce thereof Whichfis vprofvided with an elongated head f'whichisofja size to. pass through the elongatedV openingsin the member 7" of the brace. ObViousl-y-byse y curing thestud of. the member f in vanyone of lthe .openings of tlie member f of the` bi'aceythe lengtlroii the'brace maybe varied toanydesired extent. The brace F is similar in construction to the brace F just described, except that the members thereof are provided at their upper ends'l With laterally projecting portions@ which are grooved for Vthe reception of the lexpansible ring' and whichl extend in an` opposite direction to the laterally projectingportions f2 ci' thebrace j Owing' 'f .toV this constructiom,

member" F. t Whenthebraces F and F aresecured Within Vthe expansible ring inl crossed position, there i is provided therebetweenaspace,in which isY positioned theV third brace F 2. Y rl`he brace F2 is similar in constructionto the braces F and Ff except that Vno'v laterally projecting por-f1 tions` Yare providedfat the end thereof,k the Vgrooves@for the receptionjot the expansible ringrbeingin. this instance formed directly inthefendsV oftliebrace.' One end of'the brace F2 isV provided`- with two grooves so as tore'ceivethe overlappingendsof vthe expansible'ring B. Inipractice as many exusedias'isfound desirable.' f

n f Vliile convenien t embodiment Yof the iiny ventionwis illustratedl in theY accompanying parting from'the spirit and scope ofthel in- Venton asdeled in tlie appended claim.

"I claims- Y *In a 'culvert form ofthe characterde# scribed, the combination with a knock' Vdown n Ytubular metal casing' of mean's'for holding the metaljcasing extended,' said means comprising la. separate expansible ring adapted to be'placed Within the casing and 'expanded into direct 1ictioi'ial engagement therewith,

anda `vplurality of adjustablebraces for expanding the ring` and vmaintaining the same inlengagement With-'the interior of the casingysaidibraces being provided with offset endl portions adapted toy slidably engage the ring at-separate points aroundthesame, said portions-having'grooves to receive portions 4,ofthe ring therein.

r vecents eachfby addressing the Commissioner Vof Patents, i

Washington, D. C. i 

